Pallet Safety

Webster defines a pallet as a "support for freight." As a support, it has the potential to take a lot of abuse. A lot of old pallets are never discarded when they should be. They are stacked in a corner and not used except as a last resort when there are no good ones left. Too many times we hear that a pallet has broken and the freight has fallen to the floor. This not only causes freight damage but can also result in equipment damage--or worse yet, in employee injury or death. Please take a moment to review the following safety tips for working around palletized loads:

Develop a pallet inspection program. Before you use a pallet, inspect it for cracks, weaknesses and other damage. If you find damage, mark it unsafe for use until it is either fixed or thrown away. This can prevent a lot of potential problems.
When loading a pallet, make sure the load is centered and not out of balance.
If the pallet is holding several loose items, make sure the entire load is secured with shrink wrap or banding.
Exercise caution when stacking several pallets high. Make sure the stack is not leaning, because of weak or broken segments, which may cause the whole pile to fall over.
Always know the load limit of the pallet jack or forklift you are using. Neither the pallets nor mechanical lifting devices should ever be overloaded.
Load limits should also established and marked on warehouse floors--balconies, mezzanines, etc. Always comply with these.
Make sure your forklift has an overhead cage or screen to protect the driver from falling objects when merchandise is being stacked overhead.
Remember--thinking ahead can save a lot of trouble. It is a waste of production time and effort to reload a pallet that has fallen. But, more importantly, an effective pallet/warehouse safety plan can prevent injuries and save lives!